Sep 4 Hair Extensions: The Awesomeness. The Addiction!

Written by: Jenny

I've been going to Mandy at Arista Hair Solutions for many years. I love her as a human being. I love her as a stylist. She is one of those women who was just born to do what she does. She KNOWS hair. She knows how to bring out a person's best qualities with color, cut and style. She's also honest in the kindest of ways.

When we met, I was in one of those phases where I kept chopping and chopping my kinda-thin-not-that-great-hair (I have accepted that I wasn't born with thick, luscious locks. My sister got that!) I was one step away from a 'short' haircut. And, of course, exactly two seconds after that final 'Posh Spice' cut... I regretted it. I wanted ponytails. I wanted long hair. It was going to take the rest of my life to grow it all back.

Enter Mandy. 'Jenny, you HAVE to let me put extensions in for you'. 'But', she said, 'I'll warn you. They are an addiction.' I laughed... oh, sure. She's being silly.

Um. No. She was right on target.

I kind of laugh now, after the fact, that my biggest worry was that extensions would damage my hair. Nope. Like she told me the first time I asked - no damage. It's just that I'll keep wanting them.

Yep.

A lot of people ask me about my extensions that I have been getting regularly for years from Mandy at Arista. Here are the top questions I get asked, answered by the (gorgeous, and yes, she is wearing extensions in this picture) pro, herself!

Q: What brand do you use and why is it the best choice?

A: There are many extensions out there on the market, but, what makes Great Lengths stand out above all others is the bonds. Great Lengths uses keratin bonds to apply the hair. Keratin is the same substance that is found naturally in our hair! It is applied using hot and cold heat. The hot heat only touches the bond, while the cold heat touches your hair. This means that there is no heat at all being applied to your hair and therefore no damage. The bonds are so, so tiny. You can't see them in the hair unless you really search -- and even at that, they are so well blended they're hard to see. They don't feel heavy on the head like some extensions can. In fact, apart from the fact that they give you gorgeous hair, you honestly wouldn't know you had them in your hair at all! (Side note from Jenny: YES, YES and double YES. I was pretty freaked out thinking that all of my real hair would fall out after the extensions were removed... I tend to get a little paranoid and dramatic. It's never happened. My hair has never been damaged by extensions and I've worn them for YEARS!)

Q: How long does it take to put them in?!

A: At Arista, we do extensions more than most other salons, so what would normally take 6 - 8 hours takes us only 2 - 3 because of the experience and volume of clients we have requesting the service. (Side note from Jenny: This is one main reason why you NEED to go to Arista if you're wanting extensions. The time flies and really... who in the world wants to sit for any longer than a couple of hours?! And - who has the time!?)

Q: How much does it cost?

A: The price varies from person to person. But, Arista is actually lower than most salons because we can get them done faster! Always remember -- you get what you pay for when it comes to extensions. These last 4 - 6 months, so the price is worth it due to the length of time you can wear them! (Side note from Jenny: This is so very true. The hair is real, so it feels 'real' as it blends in with my own hair. And, they really do last that long. In my personal experience, definitely closer to the 6 month vs. 4 month mark. Even when they're ready to come out, it's more something that I notice than anyone else notices.)

All of the stylists at Arista are amazing. After years of going there, I've seen the impressive before/afters of just about each stylist! When Mandy was on maternity leave, Megan did my hair! Haley and Maggie have also worked their magic on my hair. There is just something about the Arista girls -- they're all incredibly good at what they do, they're kind, stylish and they're easy to talk to (and we all know our stylists become our therapists too, right?!)